The present invention relates to a copier, printer, facsimile apparatus or similar electrophotographic image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a developing device including at least one developer carrier for carrying a viscous, dense developing liquid, which consists of a carrier liquid and toner dispersed therein, and an applying member for applying the liquid to the developer carrier, and constructed to develop a latent image formed on an image carrier with the liquid deposited on the developer carrier.
Japanese patent application No. 11-38447, for example, discloses an image forming method that presses a developer carrier including an elastic layer against an image carrier to thereby form a nip. Specifically, a developing liquid, which consists of a carrier liquid and toner dispersed therein, is deposited on the developer carrier in a thin layer. The carrier liquid and toner are electrostatically transferred from the developer carrier to the image portion of the image carrier at the above nip. Only the carrier liquid is transferred to the background or non-image portion of the image carrier in a small amount at the nip. Even if the toner deposits on the background of the image carrier, it is caused to migrate toward the developer carrier at the nip.
However, the problem with the above-described prior art method is that the toner is apt to deposit on the background of the image carrier at the nip and remains thereon as excess toner. Such excess toner would blur the resulting toner image.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a developing device capable of forming high quality images free from blur despite the use of a developing liquid, and an image forming apparatus including the same.
In accordance with the present invention, a developing device for developing a latent image formed on an image carrier with a developing liquid, which consists of a carrier liquid and toner dispersed therein, includes at least one developer carrier for carrying the developing liquid thereon. An applying member applies the developing liquid to the developer carrier. At least one removing member is located downstream of the developer carrier in the direction in which the surface of the image carrier moves, and removes excess toner present on the image carrier after development.
Also, in accordance with the present invention, an image forming apparatus using a developing liquid, which consists of a carrier liquid and toner dispersed therein, an image carrier, an image forming device for forming a latent image on the image carrier, a developing device for developing the latent image, and an image transferring device for transferring the developed image from the image carrier to a recording medium. The developing device includes at least one developer carrier for carrying the developing liquid, an applying member for applying the developing liquid to the developer carrier, and at least one removing member located downstream of the developer carrier in the direction in which the surface of the image carrier moves, and removes excess toner present on the image carrier after development.